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Community Corner

Balch Library Adds New History and Genealogy Databases

Both databases are available at the library, which allow further research on African American heritage and obituaries.

Leesburg’s recently added two new electronic research and genealogy databases to its resources.

African American Heritage is a comprehensive resource for African American history. It includes search options for census, military records, slave and free black registers, and Freedmen's Bank records. Additionally, it allows access to the AfriGeneas social networking site and the Black Genesis resource guide, as well as a how-to guide for use of African-American reference and general research materials.

The ProQuest Obituaries collection is a premier resource for genealogical and historical research. The database indexes and provides access to obituaries and death notices from prominent newspapers, such as The New York Times (dating back to 1851). The collection includes both famous and lesser-known individuals and can be searched by name or by keywords appearing in the body of the article.

Both databases may be accessed at the library. For more information about the new databases and other resources at Thomas Balch Library, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/library.

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